Lipid Antigens: Revealing the Hidden Players in Adaptive Immune Responses.

Traditionally, research on the adaptive immune system has focused on protein antigens, but emerging evidence has underscored the essential role of lipid antigens in immune modulation. Lipid antigens are presented by CD1 molecules and activate invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells and group 1 CD1-restricted T cells, whereby they impact immune responses to pathogens and tumors. Recent advances in mass spectrometry, imaging techniques, and lipidomics have revolutionized the identification and characterization of lipid antigens and enhanced our understanding of their structural diversity and functional significance.

A Systematic Review of Micropulse Laser Trabeculoplasty (MLT) in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (POAG) Management: Efficacy, Safety, and Future Perspectives.

Background/objectives: Micropulse laser trabeculoplasty (MLT) is gaining attention as a non-invasive treatment option for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), offering an alternative to traditional surgeries and medications. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness, safety, and potential of MLT in glaucoma management.

Methods: This review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Implementation Outcomes and Recommendations of Two Physical Activity Interventions: Results from the Danish ACTIVE SCHOOL Feasibility Study.

Physical activity (PA) should be an essential part of all children's lives, as it can promote physical and mental health, enhance general well-being, and positively impact learning outcomes. Schools offer an ideal setting to encourage physical activity during the school day, as nearly all children attend school. However, schools present a complex environment for implementing PA, and sedentary behavior is common in classroom teaching.

Self-Reported Pesticide Exposure During Pregnancy and Pesticide-Handling Knowledge Among Small-Scale Horticulture Women Workers in Tanzania, a Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study.

Women constitute most of the global horticulture workforce, where pesticide use is prevalent. Protecting their health, particularly during pregnancy, is essential. However, knowledge about practices among pregnant employees that cause exposure to pesticides is limited.

Knowledge and Communication About the Menstrual Cycle Among Rhythmic Gymnasts, Ballerinas, and Dancers.

While moderate exercise supports regular menstrual cycle (MC) function, many female athletes experience MC symptoms that negatively influence their training and performance. Hereby, knowledge and communication about this topic are important to promote an athlete's health and wellbeing. Hence, this study aimed to assess the knowledge and communication surrounding the MC among Norwegian rhythmic gymnasts, ballerinas, and dancers.

Health Outcomes of Construction Workers Building Infrastructure for Mega-Sporting Events: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Background: Migrant construction workers involved in building infrastructure for mega-sporting events face elevated risks of illness and death. However, specific health outcomes for these workers have not been systematically reviewed, limiting opportunities to identify and address their challenges.

Methods: This study systematically reviewed health outcomes among migrant construction workers involved in mega-sporting events.

Targeting Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Cerebral Ischemia: Advances in Pharmacological Interventions.

The study of mitochondrial dysfunction has become increasingly pivotal in elucidating the pathophysiology of various cerebral pathologies, particularly neurodegenerative disorders. Mitochondria are essential for cellular energy metabolism, regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), calcium homeostasis, and the execution of apoptotic processes. Disruptions in mitochondrial function, driven by factors such as oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, and altered ion balance, lead to neuronal death and contribute to cognitive impairments in several brain diseases.

Fish Protein Hydrolysate as Protein Enrichment in Texture-Modified Salmon Products.

The aim of this study was to develop a chilled, texture-modified salmon product for dysphagia patients, enriched with dairy and fish hydrolysate proteins. The challenge was to create a product with appealing sensory qualities and texture that meets level 5 (minced & moist) of the IDDSI framework. Atlantic salmon () was heat-treated (95 °C/15 min), blended, and reconstructed by adding texture modifiers, casein and whey protein, and enzymatically derived fish hydrolysate.

Incidence and risk factors for clinical omphalitis among neonates in Eastern Uganda using chlorhexidine gel for cord care: a community-cohort study.

Background: Omphalitis is a bacterial infection of the umbilicus and/or surrounding tissues, occurring primarily in the neonatal period. Whereas it is known to be a major route of localized and often systemic infection, studies describing incidence and risk factors remain scanty, especially in resource limited settings where the condition is thought to be common. We assessed the incidence and risk factors for omphalitis among neonates born to women who received a birth kit containing chlorhexidine for umbilical cord care after birth in Eastern Uganda.

Elevated Fecal Lipocalin-2 Levels During Early Life Are Associated with Maternal Inflammatory Bowel Disease Diagnosis.

Background: Fecal lipocalin-2 (LCN2) is a biomarker of neutrophil activation, which is elevated in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); however, its dynamic changes during pregnancy and early life are largely unknown. We characterized LCN2 levels by maternal IBD diagnosis, offspring feeding behavior, and gut microbiota composition.

Methods: In the prospective MECONIUM (Exploring Mechanisms of Disease Transmission In Utero through the Microbiome) study, we analyzed 559 fecal samples from 91 pregnant women with IBD, 78 healthy controls, and their 147 offspring for LCN2 levels at each trimester of pregnancy and multiple time points during early life using linear mixed-effects model and multiple logistic regression analyses.

Quality of referrals and adherence to guidelines for adult patients with minimal to moderate head injuries in a selection of Norwegian hospitals.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess adherence to the Scandinavian guidelines, the justification of referrals, and the quality of referrals of patients with mild, minimal, and moderate head injuries in a selection of Norwegian hospitals.

Methods: We collected 283 head CT referrals for head trauma patients at one hospital trust in Norway in 2022. The data included the patients' sex, age, and the referral text.

Repurposing neuroleptics: clozapine as a novel, adjuvant therapy for melanoma brain metastases.

The blood-brain barrier and the distinct brain immunology provide challenges in translating commonly used chemotherapeutics to treat intracranial tumors. Previous reports suggest anti-tumoral effects of antipsychotics, encouraging investigations into potential treatment effects of neuroleptics on brain metastases. For the first time, the therapeutic potential of the antipsychotic drug clozapine in treating melanoma brain metastases (MBM) was investigated using three human MBM cell lines.

Giant pit craters on the modern seafloor above magma-induced hydrothermal vent complexes of Scotia Sea, offshore Antarctica.

Massive injection of C depleted carbon to the ocean and atmosphere coincided with major environmental upheaval multiple times in the geological record. For several events, the source of carbon has been attributed to explosive venting of gas produced when magmatic sills intruded organic-rich sediment. The concept mostly derives from studies of a few ancient sedimentary basins with numerous hydrothermal vent complexes (HTVCs) where craters appear to have formed across large areas of the seafloor at the same time, but good examples remain rare in strata younger than the Early Eocene.

International benchmarking of stage at diagnosis for six childhood solid tumours (the BENCHISTA project): a population-based, retrospective cohort study.

Background: International variation in childhood cancer survival might be explained by differences in stage at diagnosis, among other factors. As part of the BENCHISTA project, we aimed to assess geographical variation in tumour stage at diagnosis through the application, by population-based cancer registries working with clinicians, of the international consensus Toronto Childhood Cancer Stage Guidelines.

Methods: This population-based, retrospective cohort study involved 67 cancer registries from 23 European countries, Australia, Brazil, Japan, and Canada.

Barriers and new opportunities in developing effective therapies for diabetic neuropathy: International expert consensus recommendations.

Background: Diabetic neuropathy (DN) affects up to half of individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Despite evidence that improving metabolic and cardiovascular health can slow its progression, DN remains a significant clinical challenge due to the lack of disease-modifying therapies and effective pain management strategies. This consensus aimed to identify gaps and recommend strategies to address these challenges.

Use of alternatives to animal testing for Environmental Safety Assessment (ESA): Report from the 2023 EPAA partners' forum.

Environmental Safety Assessments (ESA) are mandatory for several regulatory purposes and are an important component of stewardship/sustainability initiatives. Fish testing is used for assessing chemical toxicity and bioaccumulation potential; amphibians are included in some jurisdictions and their use is increasing to assess endocrine disruption. Alternative methods are becoming more available, covering the principles of the 3Rs (i.

The role of non-respiratory arousals in residual daytime sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea treated with positive airway pressure: An analysis of the European Sleep Apnea Database registry.

Study Objectives: To assess the impact of the non-respiratory arousal burden at baseline polysomnography (PSG) on residual daytime sleepiness in positive airway pressure (PAP)-treated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Methods: We included OSA patients from the European Sleep Apnea Database registry with available arousal data who had at least 2 treatment follow-up visits. The primary outcome was the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score under PAP.

Safety of topical estrogen therapy during adjuvant endocrine treatment among patients with breast cancer: A meta-analysis based expert panel discussion.

Importance: Endocrine treatments, such as Tamoxifen (TAM) and/or Aromatase inhibitors (AI), are the adjuvant therapy of choice for hormone-receptor positive breast cancer. These agents are associated with menopausal symptoms, adversely affecting drug compliance. Topical estrogen (TE) has been proposed for symptom management, given its' local application and presumed reduced bioavailability, however its oncological safety remains uncertain.

Assessing a bundle of peer counseling, mobile phone messages, and mama kits in promoting timely initiation of and exclusive breastfeeding in Uganda: A cluster randomized controlled study.

Background: Timely initiation of and exclusive breastfeeding have been recommended as key interventions to enable countries to attain the sustainable development target of reducing neonatal mortality to no more than 12 deaths per 1000 live births and to reduce mortality of children under 5 years to no more than 25 deaths per 1000 live births.

Methods: We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial with the main objective to assess the effect of an integrated package consisting of: peer counseling, mobile phone messages, and mama kits on promoting health facility births between January 2018 and February 2019, in Lira district, Northern Uganda. In this article, we assessed the effect of the intervention on our two secondary objectives: timely initiation of and exclusivity of breastfeeding.

Pedestrian POSE estimation using multi-branched deep learning pose net.

In human activity-recognition scenarios, including head and entire body pose and orientations, recognizing the pose and direction of a pedestrian is considered a complex problem. A person may be traveling in one sideway while focusing his attention on another side. It is occasionally desirable to analyze such orientation estimates using computer-vision tools for automated analysis of pedestrian behavior and intention.

Low agreement and frequent invalid controls in two SARS-CoV-2 T-cell assays in people with compromised immune function.

T-cell response plays an important role in SARS-CoV-2 immunogenicity. For people living with HIV (PWH) and solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients there is limited evidence on the reliability of commercially available T-cell tests. We assessed 173 blood samples from 81 participants (62 samples from 35 PWH; 111 samples from 46 SOT recipients [lung and kidney]) with two commercial SARS-CoV-2 Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) release assays (IGRA; SARS-CoV-2 IGRA by Euroimmun, and IGRA SARS-CoV-2 by Roche).

A pangenome analysis reveals the center of origin and evolutionary history of Phytophthora infestans and 1c clade species.

We examined the evolutionary history of Phytophthora infestans and its close relatives in the 1c clade. We used whole genome sequence data from 69 isolates of Phytophthora species in the 1c clade and conducted a range of genomic analyses including nucleotide diversity evaluation, maximum likelihood trees, network assessment, time to most recent common ancestor and migration analysis. We consistently identified distinct and later divergence of the two Mexican Phytophthora species, P.

Unveiling diabetes onset: Optimized XGBoost with Bayesian optimization for enhanced prediction.

Diabetes, a chronic condition affecting millions worldwide, necessitates early intervention to prevent severe complications. While accurately predicting diabetes onset or progression remains challenging due to complex and imbalanced datasets, recent advancements in machine learning offer potential solutions. Traditional prediction models, often limited by default parameters, have been superseded by more sophisticated approaches.

TLR4 Inhibition Attenuated LPS-Induced Proinflammatory Signaling and Cytokine Release in Mouse Hearts and Cardiomyocytes.

Background: Sepsis is associated with myocardial injury and early mortality. The innate immune receptor Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) can recognize pathogen-associated-molecular-patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs); the latter are released during tissue injury. We hypothesized that TLR4 inhibition reduces proinflammatory signaling and cytokine release in: (1) LPS or Escherichia coli-treated isolated mouse heart; (2) LPS-treated mouse primary adult cardiomyocytes; and (3) the isolated heart during ischemia-reperfusion.